For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.

Ephesians 1:4

I note three things that Paul is emphasizing at this point.  First, we believers, Jews and Gentiles alike, are “chosen” by God.  Of course, we chose to believe in Him, but the more we learn of God’s grace the more we realize that God took the initiative, that is certain.  We would not freely decide to blend our lives with people who are so different from ourselves, like Jews and Gentiles.  That is difficult beyond thought.

We are saved by grace but we need to work out the implications of that divine grace by being a body of believers of different cultures. 

Secondly, we are chosen in Christ, even before the physical world was created.  Talk about breath-taking reality!  This stretches us to the limits.  We had nothing to do with that, it was God at work.

Thirdly, we were chosen to be holy and blameless in his sight.  Not in the site of man but in God’s sight.  “Holy” means to be set apart, different for a purpose.  We are chosen to be holy and without blame in God’s eyes.

Of course, people will watch us but we can not expect them to understand what is happening to us.  It is not our responsibility to make sure our societies understand, they can only look on, without spiritual eyes.  We live as holy in God’s eyes.  Is this not a challenge to top all challenges?

So, after life among the Ephesian believers for three years Paul continues to be astounded by the profound difference that living in the Kingdom of God makes.  How about us?  Do we experience the profundity of this absolutely new way to live?